396 C. II. TURNEB 



C. Pemberton (44) has described the stridulation of the shield- 

 backed grasshoppers Neduba and Aglaothorax. In these genera 

 the elytra of the males are highly specialized for sound production. 



G. T. Lyle (34) records the stridulation of the pupa of an 

 ichneumonid. 



Two beliefs are extant as to how sounds are produced by 

 the Diptera and by the Hymenoptera. Landois, who has been 

 regarded an authority, held that, in addition to a sound made 

 by the wings, flies, gnats, bees and wasps produced a finer 

 sound, by means of an apparatus connected with the spiracles 

 and tracheae. Pemberton (45) has conducted a series of ex- 

 periments to test the validity of this view. In those experi- 

 ments he used the bumble-bee, the honey-bee, the house-fly 

 and several species of Syrphidae. When a fly was held by the 

 legs in such a manner as to permit free movements of the wings, 

 two sounds were heard; one of low pitch, caused by the vibra- 

 tion of the wings, and one of high pitch, caused by the bases of 

 the wings striking against the body. When a fly, the wings of 

 which are reduced to stumps, is held by the legs, a single sound 

 of high pitch is heard. If the stumps of the wings be touched or 

 if they be glued to the body, no sound is produced. If the tho- 

 racic spiracle be completely destroyed by means of a needle, 

 and the abdomen cut off, if the wings are left free, a high pitched 

 buzz of short duration is produced. When the wings are pulled 

 from the fly in such a manner as to leave no stubs, no sound 

 is produced. These experiments caused Pemberton to assert 

 that there is no spiracular voice in either the Diptera or the 

 Hymenoptera. 



RELATION BETWEEN GAME AND THE TSETSE FLY 



Throughout South Africa, according to Hamilton (25), there 

 is a widespread belief that the "big game" mammals are re- 

 sponsible for the spread of the tsetse fly. Many have advocated 

 the destruction of all big game in order to destroy this fly. 

 The relation of the tsetse flies to sleeping sickness and to cattle 

 and horses has aroused great interest in its habits. As a result 

 last year saw the appearance of several articles (20, 24, 25, 38, 

 50, 55) treating of the habits and the habitats of the tsetses. 

 To those interested in the economy of the species, all of these 

 articles will be of value. Two of them (25, 50) produce conclu- 



